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Behind the Scenes of ROC V-Day, Vagina Monologues

Almost two months ago, I attended a candlelight vigil at Syracuse University as a part of the V-Day and One Billion Rising movements. It was a great experience and a great opportunity for the Syracuse community to come together to speak out against violence against women. This weekend and next, Rochester residents will have the chance to engage with the local V-Day effort to end gendered violence.

The Vagina Monologues, originally written by Eve Ensler, is a set of monologues that describe different aspects of the feminine experience and aims to be as empowering as it is shocking.

Kelly Sowers, a fifth-year chemistry student at the University of Rochester and co-chair of the V-Day movement in Rochester, said she and about 50 other volunteers have been working hard to organize V-Day events since November. Along with the monologues, a silent art auction in Skylark Lounge was held on Valentine's Day. 90% of the funds raised from that went directly to Restore (formerly Rape Crisis Service) and the remaining 10% were donated to the international V-Day campaign.

Sower's and co-chair Deanna Varble's roles have been limitless, and Sowers said they've worked hard to manage the movement in Rochester and fill in wherever they're needed.

"We've got a pretty sizable team of people who put a lot of time and effort into this," Sowers said. "Deanna and I kind of manage all them and fill in support where they need it, whether it be fundraising, wrangling volunteers, assembling a cast, helping with logistics the day of the show or getting the word out about the show."

Grace Ravines, sociology professor at Monroe Community College and fundraising manager for Rochester's V-Day movement, has been involved with the cause for years. As a past performer, stage manager and co-director of the show and also a volunteer in general, her passion for the cause has expanded as her role within the organization has morphed.

"I've always been involved with the V-Day cause from the perspective of equality, justice and ending violence," Ravines said. "I really do think we live in a world that almost implicitly endorses violence towards women, with sexism, violence in the media and by the fact that we do live in a patriarchal society."

V-Day is a world-wide organization that Rochester has taken part in to eliminate violence against women. Women's oppression is a global epidemic, and one in three women will be physically or sexually abused in their lifetime. Speaking up about violence and drawing attention to it is the first step towards ending the oppression and ensuring that all women will be treated equally and fairly within their societies. Rochester's V-Day effort has grown within the past few years, and collaboration between organizations and friendships between volunteers and supporters has only expanded.

"The most valuable experience has really been the connections and the friendships I've built with the people I've worked with over the years," Ravines said. "We really do become friends, we become allies, we become advocates and we become supporters of each other in this larger movement," Ravines said.

Rochester is filled with many driven and passionate women, and those behind V-Day are just a few. Women's oppression happens within our own city, and in order to empower women and help them to stand up for their rights, we have to stand up ourselves. What a better time to do it than right now?